Moving Checklist: 8 Weeks Out to Moving Day
Moving goes better when you spread the work out instead of cramming it into the last weekend. This checklist breaks the process into weeks, from the first booking to the first week living in the new place. For gifts after move-in, see our new homeowner gift guide. For a printable way to plan this, see our cleaning schedule printable on Etsy.
8 weeks out: start the paper trail
- Set your moving date and, if you're hiring movers or renting a truck, get quotes now. Good movers book up fast, especially on weekends.
- Make a rough budget for the move: truck or movers, boxes and tape, deposits, and a buffer for the things you forget to plan for.
- Start a folder (paper or digital) for your lease, deposit receipts, and any moving quotes. You'll want all of it in one place later.
- Walk through your current place and decide what's coming with you. Anything you won't use in the new place, set aside to sell, donate or toss.
6 weeks out: sort and start collecting supplies
- Order or collect boxes, tape, bubble wrap and markers. Ask local stores for free boxes if you want to save money.
- Sell or donate what you decided not to keep. Selling early gives you time to actually get offers instead of dumping items last minute.
- If you have kids or pets, start thinking through their moving day plan: who watches them, where they stay during the loading and driving.
- Research schools, vets, or other services you'll need to switch over if you're moving to a new area.
4 weeks out: notify and pack the easy stuff
- Submit your official change of address with the post office.
- Notify your bank, employer, insurance and subscriptions of the new address.
- Schedule utility setup at the new place and disconnect dates at the old one: electric, gas, water, internet and trash.
- Start packing rooms you don't use daily: guest room, storage closets, off-season clothes and decor.
- Label every box with the room it belongs in and a short list of contents. It saves hours on the other end.
2 weeks out: lock in logistics
- Confirm your movers or truck rental: date, time window, and payment method.
- Confirm the moving date with your current landlord and the new one, including keys and any move-in inspection time.
- Pack most of the house, leaving out only what you need for daily life.
- Set aside a box of essentials for the first night: toiletries, a change of clothes, medications, phone chargers and basic kitchen items.
- Arrange for a sitter or kennel for pets on moving day if they'll be underfoot.
Moving week: finish packing and confirm details
- Pack everything except what you'll need the morning of the move.
- Defrost and clean out the fridge and freezer the day before if you're not taking food with you.
- Confirm arrival times with movers or whoever is helping, and print or save directions to the new place.
- Do a final walkthrough of your current place and take photos for your records, especially of anything that could affect your deposit.
Moving day: keep the essentials box with you
- Do a last check of closets, cabinets and drawers before the movers leave.
- Keep your essentials box, important documents and valuables with you rather than on the truck.
- Do a move-in inspection at the new place and note any existing damage before you unpack, so you're not blamed for it later.
- Check that utilities are on and working: lights, water, heat or air conditioning, and internet if it was scheduled.
First week in: settle before you decorate
- Unpack the kitchen and bathroom first. Those are the rooms you use every day.
- Locate the breaker box, water shutoff and any smoke detectors so you know where they are before you need them.
- Update your address on your driver's license or ID, and register to vote if you moved to a new area.
- Give yourself permission to leave some boxes packed for a few weeks. Decor and organizing can wait until the essentials are handled.
Keep it all in one place
A printable planner keeps the quotes, dates and packing lists together instead of spread across texts and sticky notes. Our Moving Planner Bundle ($5.99) covers this whole timeline: a moving budget, box labels, a change of address tracker and a move-in inspection sheet.
If you're also setting up the new place, the First Home Bundle ($11.99) adds a home inventory, maintenance log and first-week checklist across 40 pages, so the moving plan and the settling-in plan live in one binder.
Someone on your list moving into their first place? See our housewarming gifts for a first apartment guide for picks that suit a rental.
Once the boxes are unpacked, moving costs are a good prompt to reset your money plan for the rest of the year. See our 2027 budget setup guide.
More from us
- Read next: our First Apartment Checklist for what to buy once the boxes are unpacked.
- Browse all 18 printables →
We're Warmth & Belonging, an Etsy shop making printable planners and first-apartment gifts. Some of our listings note where AI helped with design; the advice in this post is our own.
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